Worst gift: I think
my story falls in the worst gift category. My MIL has always
been a big card person. She gives cards for every little and
big occasion. Actually, it's quite a thoughtful personality
trait. As such, she has always been pleased when I sent thank
you cards as well as the usual holiday cards. Well, we recently
got married, and we received absolutely NOTHING from her or FIL,
not *even* a card. It totally appeared as some statement illustrating
how little they care for me. Oh, and of course they had to
leave early because they had guests coming over! What???????
Like they didn't know the date of the wedding for eight months!
She also maybe said 10 words to me the *entire* day, and looked
completely put off when I came to their table to visit! (Some
of the 10 words included inappropriate sexual comments during the
formal photography). My husband was very hurt by the lack
of gift/card/thought, but has not yet asked why. I am dying
to know, but I don't want him to ask when I am there (it will appear
as if the horrible DIL had forced him). So, he hasn't had
a chance yet, since I have always been there with him. The
biggest shocker is that before the lack of wedding gift fiasco,
I had no clue that she didn't like me!

Signed - Shocked to be
Hated by MIL

RESPONSE: Shocked to be Hated by MIL
Maybe you should sit down with your MIL and ask her if there is
a problem. Keep calm, and just ask if there is something you
or your DH did, as you feel that she is upset over something.
Be nice and polite when you ask. She will either tell you
that there is something that she is genuinely upset about, and you
two can sort it out, or she may go off on one about how you "stole"
her baby boy. Either way, you will know where you stand, and
how you and DH are going to deal with it together. Good Luck.

RESPONSE: Shocked to be Hated by MIL
Maybe she DOES like you! Imagine how she'd treat someone she
didn't like, heh. As for the inappropriate sexual commentary
during a photo shoot, um, I'm at a complete loss there. I
thought I was the most perverted person on the planet, but I can't
think of anything inappropriate to say at a wedding photo shoot,
unless you count "MIL, get the bloody F--- out of the pictures!"

RESPONSE: Shocked to be Hated by MIL
You or your husband should confront them on this ASAP. The
longer you let it simmer, the worse you will feel towards her.
Preferably, your husband should do this, and quickly. Tell
your husband to grow a spine and call her on this, even if it is
over the phone. It is better to know where you stand with
her than to wonder what the issue(s) are with her.

RESPONSE: Shocked to be Hated by MIL
Could it be that they don't hate you, they are just rude and don't
know how to behave in social settings? I just think that if
the only thing you're basing your MIL's hatred on is her lack of
a gift, you're risking making a bad assumption.

RESPONSE: Shocked to be Hated by MIL
What strange people. I don't hold out much hope for you that
they will improve!! Don't forget to skip their Christmas gifts
this year. We also never got a gift from MIL. Her excuse
is that we didn't have a wedding (we eloped), so she didn't feel
obligated to buy a gift. She practically supports her other
son and his family because they are very bad at handling money.
One of these days I think DH will explode on her because of how
much she gave them, and she has given us absolutely nothing.
At least we can hold our heads up and be proud of what we've done.
Good luck.

RESPONSE: Shocked to be Hated by MIL
Don't ask, and keep yourself from wondering. Take care of
yourself, and don't let her get you down. Don't sink to her
level!

RESPONSE: Shocked to be Hated by MIL
Did she have a big part in your wedding and planning? Maybe
she is mad about that? Who knows. Don't let it worry
you, though. It was extremely selfish of her to treat her
son and his new wife (YOU!) that way on your wedding day.
If it is bothering you, your DH SHOULD ask his mother what was up.
I'm sorry that someone did this to you on your wedding day.
It isn't fair.

RESPONSE: Shocked to be Hated by MIL
Your MIL sounds like mine. My MIL wanted us to leave our wedding
reception early, and therefore she kept asking us (every 5 minutes)
when we were going to leave. It was only the most special
day of our lives, and it was the biggest party that we ever organized
and completely paid for by ourselves. I still hold grudges
about that. Anyway, you should ask your MIL what she got you
and your DH for your wedding. Say that you are writing out
thank you cards, and haven't got the details. Put them on
the spot, and make them explain themselves.

Worst gift: My first
gift giving experience with my MIL was the first Christmas I spent
with my DH when we were dating. They have a tradition where
all 30 extended family members present have to open each and every
gift one by one. Did I mention that there are numerous children
under the age of 10, and that children don't like to wait the 3+
hours it took (not kidding on the time here). Did I also forget
to mention that it was held on Christmas night (not evening), so
these poor kids, who spent all day running around excited, didn't
get to go home until 11pm or later after sitting still (yeah right!)
for 3+ hours watching people open stupid gifts? I digress.
So DH (boyfriend at the time) and I had decided that neither family
should exchange gifts with the S.O. in order to cut down on expenses
and awkwardness (it was first time meeting many of the family for
both of us). So, my family complied. Well, most of his
family did, but his mother did not. She got me a ton of stuff!
It made me feel completely uncomfortable to open the gifts in front
of 30 sets of peering eyes (most of whom were strangers).
She didn't know me very well, but she thought she did a good job
(so she said). Well, this woman loves a bargain, so everything
clearly came from clearance racks and dollar stores. The one
gift I will never forgot was the PORNO PLAYING CARDS! That's
right, she got me naked men playing cards! I don't play cards,
I can't stand porno, and I would certainly not want to receive them
from my boyfriend's mother in front of 30 relatives whom I had just
met (including the elderly)!!!! It was extremely humiliating.
DH said later that my face turned pale white followed by beet red.
I was horrified that a *mother* would buy such a thing for anyone,
much less her son's girlfriend! Of course, it all evened out
in the end, because he got the female porno playing cards.
She honestly, to this day, still feels that they were perfectly
wonderful, appropriate gifts. Needless to say, both went into
the trash that evening.

Signed - PORNO PLAYING
CARDS For A G-Rated Lady

RESPONSE: PORNO PLAYING CARDS For A Grated Lady
Well, at least you only got the playing cards!!! My MIL once
got a silky teddy that was a few sizes to small for her, and she
not only wanted to give it to me, but she tried to have me model
it for her and my FIL. And, since I didn't take it then, they
wrapped it up for Christmas. My FIL put his name on the tag,
and had me open it in front of my husband (his own son), thinking
it was funny. And, if that wasn't enough, they once seemed
to try to invite us in on their "open" relationship with
them and their friends.

RESPONSE: PORNO PLAYING CARDS For A Grated Lady
The only positive thing I can think of to say, is that at least
the cards didn't have HER (pornographic) picture on them!

RESPONSE: PORNO PLAYING CARDS For A Grated Lady
You should have confronted her right there by throwing them into
the trash. You should have told her that those were wholly
inappropriate, and that you do not approve of such nonsense.
I know that many people, especially young people, are afraid of
confrontation (especially with their elders, who should know better).
But, if you don't set limits now, she will walk all over you in
the future. By then, it may be harder to stop her behavior.

RESPONSE: PORNO PLAYING CARDS For A Grated Lady
Totally inappropriate.

RESPONSE: PORNO PLAYING CARDS For A Grated Lady
Hey, I like my nekked men playing cards. Wait, they weren't
totally nekked. Some had on a bow tie - formal wear, you know.
LOL.

RESPONSE: PORNO PLAYING CARDS For A Grated Lady
I had to laugh about the porno playing cards! I, too, can't
stand pornography, and my MIL thinks I'm weird because of that.
So, one year she got me all these porno magazines, and tickets to
go and see male strippers. Her comment, when I opened them
was, "Maybe now you won't be so weird about porn."

RESPONSE: PORNO PLAYING CARDS For A Grated Lady
How TOTALLY humiliating for you, especially in front of people who
were strangers!! I assume that you're getting together this
year? Well, I would go and buy her the BIGGEST pecker at the
adult store, and let HER be humiliated!!! Don't let HER get
the last laugh!!

Worst gift: My family
grew up on a farm, and my brother still farms it. I am a vegetarian.
One Christmas, my family thought that it would be funny to cut the
horns off of a bull, with the hide and some meat still on them,
and wrap it up real nice to give to me. I opened it, and almost
threw up all over them. It was the grossest thing ever, and
so grotesque.

Signed - So Grotesque

RESPONSE: So Grotesque
Your family is sick! Please tell me that you don't associate
with them anymore.

RESPONSE: So Grotesque
I'm actually sorry that you didn't throw up all over their floor,
carpet, table, shoes, whatever. Please re-post and tell us
a little more about your family. Other posters on this site
can help you come up with some really "good" (if you get
my drift) gift ideas for these clods. My personal favorite
is anything from dollar or thrift shops.

RESPONSE: So Grotesque
That is just plain disgusting, even to a non-vegetarian. I
think that shows a total lack of respect for you.

RESPONSE: So Grotesque
Funny? Words like "perverse" and "sadistic"
come to MY mind!

RESPONSE: So Grotesque
THAT would be gross even if you were NOT a vegetarian! Does
your family usually have such a strange sense of humor? I
feel so sorry for you - that must have been awful And, shame
on them using such a Holiday to express their mean spirits.
I hope they have either changed or you keep some distance from them.

Worst gift: For my birthday
I got a pair of rusted earrings that MIL bought for $1.99.
For Christmas last year I got NOTHING. So, I guess I should
be happy. But my poor boyfriend got the worst gift.
He got tea cups. YES, tea cups. And they were only addressed
to HIM. Freaky family.

Signed - Freaky Family

RESPONSE: Freaky Family
OK, I'm speechless!

Worst gift: I am the
gift buyer (between DH and I), and since his family is a lot bigger
than mine (with nieces and nephews), I tend to spend a pretty penny
on his family. Everyone in his family knows that I am the
gift buyer, etc. For Xmas last year, even though I can't stand
her, I got MIL a gift certificate to a spa, plus a gift certificate
to go clothes shopping (since all of her clothes date back to the
80's). Then, it was my turn. I opened up my gift to
find a loofa - a white loofa sponge thing.

Signed - Loofagirl

RESPONSE: Loofagirl
Wrap it back up and put it away. Save yourself time and effort
next year, and give it back to her then!

RESPONSE: Loofagirl
From now on, DH buys his mom the gifts.

RESPONSE: Loofagirl
That was pretty damn cheap of her. I hope you remember that
this year.

RESPONSE: Loofagirl
Jeez! I hope you saved it to wrap it up for her next gift.

RESPONSE: Loofagirl
Oh my. How tacky. When you shop this year, maybe you
could buy a family gift for each household instead of individual
gifts. That works out pretty well for me. I buy popular
board games or a movie that's appropriate for the whole family to
watch together. If nothing else for MIL, give her the loofa
back with a bar of soap!

RESPONSE: Loofagirl
Apparently, the best thing to do would be to simply stop spending
your hard-earned money on this woman. In fact, with such a
large family, perhaps the gift-giving could be limited to a "family"
present for each family. Then, you wouldn't have to worry
about getting your MIL anything personally. Perhaps a nice
dried fruit basket would be appropriate.

RESPONSE: Loofagirl
Funny, some of us are raised to be thoughtful and give freely.
When I married my husband, I took over the gift giving too.
I tried so hard to find nice, thoughtful presents for my in-laws,
each of their new spouses, and my SIL and her family. For
the past four years, I have received nothing, nothing, a towel,
and nothing. I thought I was doing the right thing.
It started out that I was giving these gifts (and doing the shopping
for my DH) because I wanted to. But it soon dwindled into
a chore, and I have plenty of chores to do. It has made my
Xmas shopping so much more fun to spend my time on MY family and
friends - people I truly love. My DH doesn't bother with gifts
for them, so neither do I. I hope you figure out this before
I did. I guess I'm a little slower on the uptake!

RESPONSE: Loofagirl
You spent a lot of money on her. Don't let her burn you twice.
I would purchase a nice, inexpensive gift for her. The same
thing happened to me, and I learned my lesson. So what if
last year I got a broken picture frame and mail/trial samples of
stuff (no kidding). She got a $4.99 bracelet from a clearance
rack. Christmas has gotten so overrated with expensive gifts
anyway. Enjoy the holidays by being simple. Good luck,
and Happy Holidays (this year)!

RESPONSE: Loofagirl
I am hearing you on this one! I am more of a gift finder than
a gift buyer! I don't actually pay for my DH's family's gifts,
as I, myself, have an enormous family to buy for. However,
I spend as much time finding the perfect gift for the in-laws as
I do for my own family. Every year I spend valuable time finding
something that will please everyone, especially the MIL. It
seems, though, that the MIL always buys gifts to please herself!
Not only do I receive cheaper/nastier versions of what she has bought
her own children, but I have also received clothes that my MIL wears
(and actually has!). What is wrong with that is she is 60,
and I am twenty something! I wouldn't buy her some hipster
jeans and a boob tube!! (Not that I wear bube toobs!!) Last
year, I didn't even get a present. Well, I suppose that I
was included on the gift tag for a couple of items of a dinner service
that we are collecting - but even they were from the seconds shop!
Ask for gift vouchers. I do every year, and never receive
them. DH's sister is also bad at buying presents - like mother,
like daughter!

Worst gift: For our
first wedding anniversary, my MIL asked my wife if it was ok if
she just bought HER something (for her only), instead of getting
a gift for the two of us! B!tch.

Signed - For Her Only

RESPONSE: For Her Only
I'm curious. What did YOUR mother get you two?

RESPONSE: For Her Only
What did your wife say? I hope she said no!!

RESPONSE: For Her Only
That was very thoughtful of her. When a woman does something
like that, she knows exactly what she is doing. That was meant
to be an insult. I am very curious to know what your wife
said???????????

RESPONSE: For Her Only
Lots of us would rather have our MILs directly buy NOTHING for us,
instead of a lousy trinket for us and a real gift for our partner.
Besides, an anniversary is really just for the two celebrating it
- no one else is obligated to give anything, or even send a card.
Maybe for a big round anniversary, your kids will throw you a party.

Worst gift: My husband
and I have been married for almost 3 years. And while his
mother had always protested our relationship, she never came right
out and said it. I spent the first year of the marriage trying
to make her see that her son was happy, and that was all that should
have mattered. We had purchased our home last year, and decided
that we wanted the big, traditional Christmas at our home that year.
We invited more people than we both had planned, and it was a blast,
until we got to the gifts. My MIL decided to make a big, elaborate
moment out of the gift she gave me. She came over, gave me
a hug and a kiss and said "everything is now righted."
She handed me a beautiful box, and I really thought we were going
to be ok. I mean, it had been 3 years. Utterly confused,
and thoroughly intrigued, I opened her gift. In it was divorce
papers for my husband and I. And everyone at the party knew
what it was. My husband almost went crazy. He handed
her her coat, and asked her to leave.

Signed - Divorce Papers

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
OMG!!!! How horrible! Shame on her!

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
Take comfort in the fact that the only person MIL made a jackass
of was herself. My guess is that in 20 years, the guests you
had over that Christmas will still be talking about what a stupid,
horrible person she is. Two thumbs up to your husband for
throwing her out! Hang on to that guy!

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
Wow, that is insane, especially in front of all those people!
I'm glad your DH stood up to her, and I hope you have blacklisted
her.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
WHAT?????????????????????????

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
I think you win out of all the worst gift stories. Thank goodness
your husband responded the way he did, otherwise you WOULD have
cause for those divorce papers!

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
Are you serious? If so, truth is stranger than fiction.
It stretches my imagination to imagine anyone acting like that.
If she did that, she is truly twisted.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
Everything is now righted??? Yeah, everything is out in the
open now, and she has no way to deny it happened or to claim that
it was a misunderstanding. That's some gall she had to present
you with what is, I think, the most tasteless "present"
I've ever heard of on this site. What was she thinking?
Wait, I bet she wasn't, was she? Hooray for your DH for his
quick and decisive response to kick her out of the house after that.
I mean, jeez, was she trying to insult her son as well as you?
That's most certainly what she did. When a mother rejects
her son's wife (or daughter's husband), it's like saying to them,
"You are not capable of making good choices when it comes to
who you want to spend the rest of your life with." My
condolences to you both, and I really hope you didn't let her ruin
your holiday.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
So, let me get this straight, your DH did not want the divorce?
Your MIL took it upon herself to try to get you and DH divorced?
And, everyone knew about the "pending divorce" but you
and DH? Wow! You have the worst MIL and ILs I've ever
read about. Good luck to you and DH.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
Oh, My, God. That is just evil!! There is no excuse
for that behavior. Good for your husband for standing up for
his marriage!

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
Holy cow! What a witch! I am glad for you that your
husband was supportive.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
I can't believe that this woman hated you that much, and you had
actually invited her into your home. I can't believe that
you two had completely different agendas. I hope you threw
her out (for good), along with everyone else who knew what she was
up to. This one is REALLY bad.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
What she did was horrible. I am glad that your husband had
the courage to show her the door! Write her off as a loss,
and don't worry about her again.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
OMG! How awful. I hope your husband stuck to his guns
with this hag!

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
Oh, dear Lord. You win the Worst Gift Trophy, hands down.
What an incredible b!tch. Bless your husband. I trust
that the two of you are now planning to cut this woman out of your
lives entirely - no visits, no calls? I can't see any other
alternative at this point. I'd also be considering new friends
at this point, if I were you. Did they really think this was
a funny joke or something? Some friends.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
This is unbelievable! I am so sorry for you. I am glad
that your DH made her leave right away. That kind of behavior
is not funny (was she trying to make a joke?) and very hurtful.
I would never have her over my house again.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
That is downright evil. What a nasty thing she did to you
and your husband.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
What?????

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
That takes the cake. I don't think ANYONE can top that.
I hope that you two have totally cut that B!TCH out of your lives.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
Well, this about tops them all for crass, contemptible gall!
I hope you and DH have kept that door shut behind her since DH asked
her to leave, unless she has made appropriate apologies and amends!

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
This is an absolutely outrageous story! Your "present"
is, quite obviously, offensive and insulting, and reflects that
the giver is downright insane!! Aah, yes, you were wining
and dining your MIL, making every effort to spread Christmas cheer,
and striving to keep an entire room of guests happy (when clearly
you wished that at least one of them was not present). And
then suddenly your MIL just decided to outdo herself and her previous
escapades! While there was no way to minimize what happened,
I can tell you that at least your husband wholeheartedly supported
you, as he well should have!! What he did was entirely appropriate
under the circumstances. I wish I could say that my husband
would do the same. Unfortunately, I doubt it. He'd probably
say that my MIL was joking, and accuse me of lacking a sense of
humor. Good luck to you.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
Oh my goodness. I have been reading this site for a while,
and yes, that is the WORST gift ever! I am so sorry!
I am glad that your DH made her leave! I hope she is out of
your lives for good now!

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
WHAT A FREAK! She just proved to everyone there that she is
the stereotypical monster-in-law! I am so curious as to what
happened after! Just exactly how did your husband and the
other guests react to her upon opening your "gift"?
Are you still talking to her? What about your husband?

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
"ASKED her to leave,"?!?! It should have been more
like "TOLD her to leave." Or, better yet, picked
her up and tossed her out. I'm sure that if my SIL could do
it, that's what I'd get from her. She stayed with us for a
few years (well, OK, it was only 5 months, but it sure felt like
years!). And, she even told me that I needed to move out because
she and her brother (my DH) would be better off without me.
Let's see now, he made her leave, and I'm still there. Hmmm.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
That's one horrible MIL that you have. What do you mean that
everyone at the party knew what your "gift" was?
If they knew beforehand and didn't warn you, they should have been
thrown out as well. I hope you don't let your MIL into your
home ever again!

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
PLEASE, tell me that she is never allowed in your home, or near
either of you ever again! That excuse for a person has no
right to be a part of the lives of two people whom she is so obviously
trying to hurt.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
OMG!!!!! That truly takes the cake. Maybe on the next
gift giving occasion that you are forced to share with her, you
should wrap up some commitment papers for her to the local mental
institution.

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
I am in SHOCK! I am glad that your DH stood up and asked this
evil witch to leave. I am glad that she did this in front
of everyone, so everyone sees she needs mental help. For Mother's
Day give her a tour of the nursing home you are going to put her
in, since she is now crazy and needs assistance. Good Luck!

RESPONSE: Divorce Papers
What a %$#@! &* your MIL is. And, what a WONDERFUL
husband your DH is. I hope you have never spoken to her since.

Worst gift: My MIL is
a real piece of work. For "our" wedding present,
she got us a tool box. Something my husband really wanted.
Because we don't got to church, she told her only grandchild that
she would go to he!!. Needless to say, my six year old did
not understand. She found out my neighbor's (and close friend)
unlisted number and proceeded to call her to discuss why my husband
is so unhappily married to me. This was the last straw for
me. My husband agreed to go to marriage counseling because
he was letting his mother interfere way too much (and she lives
three hours away!!!!). The marriage counselor was aghast at
how his mother behaves, and how my DH lets her get away with it!
It has gotten better over the years, but she still is a loud-mouth-wants-everything-for-nothing
bitch!!!!

Signed - God I Hate My
Mother-In-Law!!!

RESPONSE: God I Hate My Mother-In-Law!!!
Well, I'm hating her right along with you.

RESPONSE: God I Hate My Mother-In-Law!!!
Keep working with DH on YOUR life together, and don't let MIL take
up too much of your thoughts! Good luck!

RESPONSE: God I Hate My Mother-In-Law!!!
A MIL only causes problems in a marriage if the problem is between
the husband and wife to begin with. Believe me, I know.
You and your husband need to listen to each other, and respect each
other. If my MIL told my DD that she would go to he!!, I would
kick her out and not speak to her again. She would have forfeited
any privileges with our DD. That is really unacceptable.
Stand your ground, and good luck!

RESPONSE: God I Hate My Mother-In-Law!!!
I just love it when people use religion to terrorize people (and,
particularly innocent, trusting children). MIL is a classic
bully (I wonder if she would ever have said what she did to an adult?).
Leave MIL to her conception of God as a psychopathic, serial freak.
They deserve each other. And, keep you child/children faaaaaar
away from her!

Worst gift: My DH was
an only child, and my MIL was not happy when we told her that we
were getting married, even though we had known each other for years.
My gifts from her included used items that she didn't want anymore.
For example: Half bottle of nail polish and hose with seams
(a real relic). And, oh yes, once, after ten years of marriage,
she gave me a five dollar check that was made out to me in my maiden
name. She forgot that I was married to her son! The
gifts were always recycled from things that she had received and
didn't like. She was also rude and hateful to my son and daughter,
her only grandchildren. I could write a book about this person,
but she's gone now, so I'll let it go!! Unfortunately, her
son, my DH, became more like her as time passed, so we have been
divorced for fifteen years. Look at the family before you
marry!!

Signed - Older and Wiser

RESPONSE: Older and Wiser
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it? Let your
story be a warning to what can happen when someone attaches himself
to a toxic person. I believe that you did the right thing
by your children by divorcing him. Hopefully, MIL's legacy
of hate will end with ex-DH.

RESPONSE: Older and Wiser
Sorry for your painful lesson. I hope you and your children
have managed all right, and that you all find happiness, love, and
caring in your lives.

Worst gift: One year
for Christmas I received a box with 6 pairs of socks. The
problem was that one pair had a hole in the toe, and another pair
had no elastic!! I politely told MIL about the problem, and
asked her if she kept the receipt so she could get her money back.
She replied, "There was nothing wrong with those socks.
You must have washed them incorrectly." When I told her
that they were this way right out the box, she said, "You must
have done something to them." I threw them in the trash
can in front of her, and walked out. Fortunately, DH spoke
his mind, left his gift on the couch (unopened), and went home with
me. This was over 7 years ago, and I never received an apology.
Oh well.

Signed - DIL With the
Holed Socks

RESPONSE: DIL With the Holed Socks
Way to go DH!!!!

RESPONSE: DIL With the Holed Socks
You don't need her apology, or her garbage-for-socks excuse for
a present. You have her son!

RESPONSE: DIL With the Holed Socks
Good for you for speaking your mind. At least you have a good
DH who will stick up for you.

RESPONSE: DIL With the Holed Socks
Good for you for throwing those used socks away right in front of
her. That's what I plan on doing when I get another one of
my used gifts from my MIL this year at Christmas. And, I'm
so proud that your DH left his gift on the couch, went home with
you, and never looked back!

RESPONSE: DIL With the Holed Socks
Good for your DH!!! Yay! Obviously your MIL gave you
used or junky socks. That is an insulting gift. I am
so glad to hear about a DH who not only saw immediately that what
she did to you was wrong, but acted on it that way.

Worst gift: One year
for Christmas my FIL gave me a t-shirt with his company logo on
it. He gets these for free from his job, and the size was
way too big for me. Gee, thanks!

Signed - Free Shirt

RESPONSE: Free Shirt
At least your FIL gives you gifts!

RESPONSE: Free Shirt
I hope you let him see you painting (or something) in it.

RESPONSE: Free Shirt
Sorry to here that, but at least you got a free shirt. My
MIL has never even given me anything for any occasion.

RESPONSE: Free Shirt
Geeze, I don't know ANY FILs who have ever gone to the trouble to
give ANYTHING (besides cool cash) to their DILs. I think it's
sort of cute.

RESPONSE: Free Shirt
I've gotten gifts like that, too. Some people like extra-big
t-shirts to wear to lounge around, sleep in, whatever. If
you have the feeling that your FIL cares about you deep down, don't
sweat it. He might have been trying to be sweet.

RESPONSE: Free Shirt
I recently complained to a friend about a cheesy gift I got (cheese
would have been an improvement, believe me) from MIL. She
said, "At least you get gifts. I have been married for
10 years, and MIL has never given me anything." Maybe
that will make you feel just a wee bit better.

RESPONSE: Free Shirt
Did you know that in the advertising world, space (TV, radio, billboards)
is always the largest portion of a company's ad budget? You
should gladly wear the t-shirt. Then, send FIL a bill for
your services (charge by the minute).

Worst gift: This one
happened to my mother. Her MIL (my grandmother) gave her cheap,
dime store cologne every year for Christmas for 5 years straight!!
How did my mom get her to stop giving that same cheap gift?
She kept the gifts, wrapped all the bottles nicely, and gave them
back to her MIL for Mother's Day!!! Everyone thought it was
funny, except for MIL, of course.

Signed - Right Back At
Ya!

RESPONSE: Right Back At Ya!
Good for your mom for giving it right back to the old battle-ax!

RESPONSE: Right Back At Ya!
After all the stories of cr@ppy gifts that all these MILs have given
their DILs, I've wished so many times that just one DIL would wrap
those suckers right back up and give them back on the next gift-giving
occasion. I feel like I finally got my wish! Thanks
for sharing!

RESPONSE: Right Back At Ya!
Sure, it was funny, but I also think it was sort of rude and made
your mother look just as bad as she was. If your mother couldn't
find these gifts a good home on her own, she should have just made
a comment about how she is sensitive (headaches? rashes?) to certain
types of perfumes. That would have ended the gifts.
By wrapping them up and giving them back, it made her seem rude
and ungrateful - ways that no one wants to be perceived.

Worst gift: My fiancé
and I have been together for 3 1/2 years, and we are getting married
next spring. I had, more or less, gotten along with my future
MIL until I got engaged to her son. He, I might add, is 32.
I dread any "gift giving" events, and so does my fiancé.
Last Christmas, I received a make-up bag, with the price still on
it. It cost $3.99, and that's it. Now, we spent over
$200 on her. DF received (from his mother) a pair of slippers
(size 12, he's a size 10 1/2) and a t-shirt (size XXL - he wears
a large)! For my birthday, I received a little girl's watch
(which didn't work, and hello, I'm 30 years old!). Well, I
wanted to return it, and asked her where she had bought it.
Needless to say, it was purchased at a resale store run by a charitable
organization. Why in the world would she buy me anything from
there?!?!?!?! She can shop in other stores, and she does have
the $$$ to shop in other stores! I was finally at my wits
end and said to her (not in such a nice way), "Please stop
buying me gifts, and spend the $4.00 on a bone for my puppy."
Thank goodness my fiancé backed me up 100%.

Signed - Please Buy the
Dog a Bone!

RESPONSE: Please Buy the Dog a Bone!
The sad part is that your MIL probably spent 20 dollars on a huge
bone for the dog. Good for you for telling her not to even
bother with the gifts anymore. I wish I had the courage to
tell my MIL that.

RESPONSE: Please Buy the Dog a Bone!
Sorry, but I get really tired of people complaining about the cost
of their gifts. Complaining about obviously rude gifts (see
the woman who got a moldy, half-eaten egg salad sandwich and a few
rotted grapes) and gifts where there is a huge disparity between
yours and others, sure, but apparently his mom is frugal with gifts
to everyone. Personally, I would never spend $200 on *anyone*
for Christmas. Our Christmases simply aren't on that sort
of scale. And, I'd be pretty unhappy if somebody felt that
they had the right to dictate how much I could/should spend on presents.

RESPONSE: Please Buy the Dog a Bone!
Hold it right there. I think you were rude to complain to
MIL about the gifts you received. Yes, they were terrible,
but your husband got cr@p too. And, nobody is forcing you
to spend $200 on her. Gifts should be given without expecting
anything in return. You are not ENTITLED to pick and choose
your own gifts, unless asked to do so (like a registry or request).

RESPONSE: Please Buy the Dog a Bone!
If you didn't really have any problems with MIL, I wouldn't have
rocked the boat. Some people just don't give good gifts.
My family usually gives 10$-20$ gifts. On the other hand,
my ILs are not wealthy (putting it lightly), and they give extravagant
gifts. I would have held my tongue on this one, and given
the gift back to charity. If she gave you those gifts, and
gives DH $200 worth of stuff, that would be different. But,
it sounds like she is just a bad shopper.

Worst gift: My MIL went
to a fancy jewelry store and bought her 2 daughters expensive pearl
necklaces for Xmas. What did I get? The free box of
(cheap) chocolates that the jewelry store gave her as a "bonus"
for spending so much money. And she told me where they came
from! My two SILs were embarrassed beyond belief at their
mother's tacky behavior. My other "gift" from her
was a MOP! And it was not even a good one!!

RESPONSE: Laughing, Otherwise I'll Cry
Do the same thing to her next Christmas. Give someone a nice
gift, give her the free gift, and tell everyone. See how she
likes it then. What a b!tch!

RESPONSE: Laughing, Otherwise I'll Cry
I am sorry. I am afraid that this was not a gift of stupidity,
but it was meant to be hurtful. Shame on MIL for being so
cruel. In the end, she made you look like the better person
(when everyone else was obviously embarrassed by her gifts to you).

Worst gift: My MIL has
always demanded expensive gifts for herself and her husband (my
husband's step father). We have gotten them a digital camera,
thousands of dollars worth of music CDs, a video camera, etc.
MIL, in turn, gives us used things that they don't want anymore,
or things that cost them nothing. Last Christmas, they gave
our six year old daughter a plastic butter dish that they manufacture
and have a warehouse full of. She got nothing else - and she
is their only granddaughter. For her birthday, our daughter
got nothing, not even a card. My MIL is the worst grandmother
in the world!! Needless to say, she is greedy, selfish, and
abusive. Three months ago, she invited herself and her husband
to our house for 3 days to celebrate SFIL's birthday. We paid
for their hotel, restaurant meals, a boat trip on the lake, and
we gave a gift - a pair of pants that SFIL wanted! Two days
later, MIL called up screaming profanity, and saying that we were
cheap and stingy. She asked how could we think to give such
a cheap gifts (we spent hundreds of dollars on the whole birthday).
Well, after 7 years of her abuse, I wrote a letter saying we would
no longer accept her violent temper and verbal abuse. As a
result of the letter, she has broken contact with us. Like,
boohoo - we really need a psychotic, narcissistic, evil witch like
her in our lives.

Signed - Plastic Butter
Dish for a Six Year Old

RESPONSE: Plastic Butter Dish for a Six Year Old
Why on earth did you ever start spending that kind of money on presents
for them in the first place? Also, why did you pay for their
hotel room when they were in town? This confuses me.

RESPONSE: Plastic Butter Dish for a Six Year Old
That was a long time coming. No offense, but you were suckers
for far too long. At least you finally did something about
it!

RESPONSE: Plastic Butter Dish for a Six Year Old
I'll bet you any amount of money that she thinks she is "punishing"
you by not talking to you. Little does she know, you are far
from being "punished". I understand about your gift
situations. My MIL demands very expensive gifts from us, and
in return we get garbage too. For your sake, I hope she never
contacts you again.

RESPONSE: Plastic Butter Dish for a Six Year Old
Why would you continue to buy that selfish witch expensive gifts,
especially after she gave your daughter a cr@ppy plastic butter
dish? It's a good thing that she cut you off, or you would
probably spend your daughter's college fund on her too. JUST
SAY NO! It's really very easy!

RESPONSE: Plastic Butter Dish for a Six Year Old
Good for you for putting your foot down at last. But why on
earth do you buy extortionately expensive gifts just because they
ask for them? That should have happened precisely once - till
the time you realized that they were just seeing how far you could
be pushed into spending money on them.

Worst gift: My MIL gave
me a giant cartoon character cookie jar for Christmas a few years
ago. No, I'm not a fan of that character, or even much of
a cookie person. The kicker? Upon opening it up, I found
that there were still some cookie crumbs left in it from its previous
owner!

Signed - Glad She Lives
Far Away

RESPONSE: Glad She Lives Far Away
Are you a long lost sister-in-law? Good God, my MIL always
gives me her old stuff as gifts! I got a nice cookie tin with
no cookies in it, only crumbs. Maybe your MIL "shops"
at the same store mine does? The gifts seem to be just as
"crumby".

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